South Koreans have to
worry about little furry arsonists
Pet owners in South Korea have been warned to stay on their guard after more than 100 fires were started by cats over the past three years, according to fire officials in the capital Seoul.
A statement Thursday from the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Department said cats caused a total of 107 house fires between January 2019 and November this year.
The cats are believed to have started the fires by switching on electric stoves, the department said. Cats can turn electric stoves on by jumping on touch-sensitive buttons -- and once overheated, the appliances can catch fire.
Four people were injured in the fires, just over half of which started while pet owners were out, the statement added.